Erdogan says Turkey will do everything to establish peace in Iran

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to vessels owned by or associated with the United States, Israel, or countries assisting their military campaign against Iran.

In a phone call with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad bin Hassan on Tuesday, Araghchi said other ships could still transit the strategic waterway if they coordinated with Iranian authorities, according to a readout released by Iran’s foreign ministry.

The statement said Araghchi described Iran’s de facto closure of the shipping lane — a move that has driven a sharp rise in global oil and gas prices — as “a direct result of American and Israeli military aggression.”

He said the measure was aimed at defending Iran’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Iraq’s presidency has condemned separate attacks targeting both the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and Kurdish Peshmerga units on Iraqi territory.

The presidency described the strike on the PMF headquarters as a “criminal attack” and a “violation of the country’s sovereignty,” while denouncing the targeting of the Peshmerga - which it described as a “fundamental pillar of the national defence system.”

A US airstrike on the PMF’s command headquarters in Anbar killed at least 14 people on Monday.

Separately, Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region accused Iran of launching two ballistic missile attacks against Kurdish forces, killing six people and wounding 30 others.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards released video of a missile launch on Tuesday as strikes targeted Israel.

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, where a multi-story apartment building was damaged. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service said crews were searching for civilians trapped inside.

There has been “outreach” between the United States and Iran in recent days, though not full negotiations, CNN cited an Iranian source as saying.

“Messages have been received through various intermediaries to scope out whether an agreement to end the war can be reached,” the source said, adding that the contact had been initiated by Washington.

The source said Iran is willing to listen to “sustainable” proposals aimed not just at a ceasefire but a broader agreement ending the conflict, provided they preserve Iran’s national interests and include lifting sanctions.

“Iran is ready to provide all the necessary guarantees that it will never develop nuclear weapons but is entitled to peaceful use of nuclear technology,” the source added.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for “de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest” after speaking with President Donald Trump about the escalating situation in the Middle East.

In a post on X, Modi said the two leaders discussed the conflict and concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, adding that keeping the waterway “open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world.”

US envoy to India Sergio Gor also said the call took place on Tuesday, marking the first known conversation between the two leaders since the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran on February 28.